Another Soldier's Story
by Philpott397
Summary: Follow Cole Coleman, a ODST that looses everything because of a single women but through challenges and his military career will redeem himself and the lives of his team.


So this is a testemant to how creative I can be when I should have been doing homework this year. Enjoy the story and please review.

Cole had been on Reach for a week after the covenant decided they wanted to invade it full force. His teams, Mark squad of Renegade Company were now just more lifeless bodies to add to the dark streets. Cole himself had been lucky to escape the battle with a few scrapes and bruises. He continued to walk down a narrow stretch of road in a downtown suburb when he spotted a covenant patrol. He hid behind a burned out police car and scanned the patrol. Two elites and four grunts scanned the streets for any remnant of a threat. Cole walked out from behind his cover and shot the four grunts in the head with his pistol and brought his rifle out to take care of the elites. They themselves had been occupied with watching their four comrades' fall as Cole gunned down to one elite. The other elite was just a little bit smarter and charged Cole with its deadly energy sword. Cole finished off the last elite with practiced ease and pulled his knife from its skull.

Cole sighed and looked out into the burning landscape around him. Reach was lost, that was the plain fact of the bodies that littered the darkening streets. The skyline still glowed with a sunset that resembled the glassing of the mountains in the distance. He grabbed a pack from a far gone marine and started to walk toward a security checkpoint in the city. He carefully peered through the door and determined that the empty office was clear of anything that wanted to kill him. Once inside he locked the door and set down his pack. Cole sighed again and took out his radio and flipped it on.

"This is Echo two to any UNSC personnel in the city. The current rendezvous point is market city, point 35364574. Any UNSC personnel on this station please report. Current 20:00."

Cole checked his watch, 23:00. The transmission was too old to follow. Cole stood up and pulled down the shades of the room. He pushed the desk up against the door and rolled a few blankets out behind another desk. After putting his chest plate back on the laid down and let the exhaustion washes over him.

Cole awoke to the sound of someone or something trying to break down the office's door. Cole grabbed his pistol and went to sit up when a splintering pain shot through his chest. Cole was starting to think that maybe he did have a few broken ribs after all. He laid back down and took a few wheezing breaths as he listened to the door crack under the abuse. Cole managed to slow down his breathing and hold the pistol steady as he waited for the door to open. The door came off its hinges and whoever was trying to get in pushed the desk that had been in front of the door to the side.

"UNSC personnel, anyone hiding in here?" A female voice said.

Cole remained still out of fear and uncertainty. Cole heard the person sigh and walk out the door. Even outside Cole could still hear their conversation.

"Told you it was a just an empty house Kate."

"Shut up Marcus someone barricaded that door for a reason."

Cole slipped out the front door as the pair argued and soon heard faint shouts behind him.

"Don't let him get away, hey were UNSC." Kate shouted.

Cole ran faster, but the pairs started to gain on him. He turned a corner into an ally and started to climb up a ladder to the roof. As he was nearing the top someone grabbed his leg and yanked him back to the ground. His attacker tried unsuccessfully to pin him. Cole on the other hand was one of the best recon operatives in the entire UNSC. He used this advantage to attempt to stun and bolt, but the other had faster reflexes and pinned Cole to the ground before knocking him unconscious.

Cole awoke being carried over someone's shoulder. The first thing he noticed was the duct tape on his mouth and the fact that his hands and feet were cuffed. Before Cole could even mutter a curse word he was set down in a corner of a room.

"Is he awake yet, I'm getting tired of carrying his dead weight." Marcus said looking at the probable rouge marine.

"Shut it Marcus, were under orders to bring back any UNSC personnel still on this planet back to HQ." Kate said reminding the other about their mission.

"I still don't see why we have to pick up the rouge or insane ones." Marcus said walking with Kate to the door.

Cole used the opportunity to sip from his cuffs and sneak out the back of the dark warehouse. He slid quietly out a back window and ran for a farmhouse in the distance. After crossing and falling painfully in some barbed wire Cole hid in the basement of the small house. He often wondered this week if someone from the UNSC would ever find him, but on the other hand he was also the only remnant of the Raptor Project. A secret ONI project that turned him into the greatest recon operative in the UNSC, but was also only able to work for a 1 in twenty colonies genetics. Cole sighed remembering the board meeting that basically told him to pretend to be a normal ODST and forget the project.

Cole reached in his pocket and pulled out the chain of dog tags that he had kept all these years from Harvest to now. Cole heard the door slam open upstairs and quickly tucked the dog tags back into his armor. When he heard footsteps coming down the stairs he activated his cloak unit. Kate sighed and looked around the basement.

"This is your fault Marcus if you would just be a little nicer to the people we are trying to help." Kate said taking off her helmet and running a hand through her short black hair.

Cole sat directly behind Marcus on an old bench as Cole deactivated his cloak unit and grabbed Marcus pinning him to the wall with a knife at his throat.

"Yeah Marcus be a little nicer." Cole said holding him tight as the Spartan struggle to get out of the grip.

"Stand down marine." Kate said pointing her rifle at Coles head.

"I'm a Raptor. Kate I'll give you this warning once, so listen. If you continue to follow me you won't make it off this planet alive. I though plan to stay and give these covenant hell until the UNSC get the balls to take it back. "Cole said.

"But the UNSC wants us to get everyone off this planet." Kate said.

"Then they already failed their objective, Spartans." Cole said before letting Marcus drop to the floor gasping for breath.

Cole activated his cloak and walked out of the house. Kate cursed and helped Marcus stand up.

"What the hell is a Raptor?" Marcus asked Kate as he rubbed his neck.

"Experimental recon super soldier program got shut down by the UNSC and ONI." Kate said shifting on her feet and looking at a spot on the floor.

Kate sighed Project Raptor was more off the books then the Spartan project could ever be. The suspicion that surrounded it had everyone on edge with the knowledge that the chosen few were now integrated into the ranks of the UNSC. The soldiers had been rumored to be the most effective recon operatives, and were under orders to remain in secrecy about their participation in the program. They weren't the war hero's and saviors of humanity that the Spartans had become. This soldier that they had managed to catch and lose was one of them and Kate wasn't going to let him get away.

Cole deactivated his cloak unit after he had spent an hour climbing up a cliff face to get away from the Spartans. He took his sniper rifle off his back and set it in his lap. The snow camo print on the casing was little more than a scuff now after years of being dropped, scraped, soaked, and thrown off a cliff with its owner at one point. Cole shivered at that memory and subconsciously felt the right arm prosthetic he had as a result. If he was honest with himself the war had taken a lot from him and his rifle. Cole was now a triple amputee with the top of his knees down gone and his arm, not to mention the friends that he had lost. Their dog tags still felt heavy in his pocket.

Cole looked down the rifle sights as he leaned back on the slim ledge of the cliff top. Covenant patrolled the streets, their plasma weapons glowing eerily in the nighttime dark. Cole lined up a shot on an elite zealot and fired. The shot sent purple blood and brain matter splattering on a grunt in front of him. Cole watched as the remaining three grunts and other elite turned to defensive positions. He activated his cloak unit and smirked under his helmet as he lined up the other elite. He enjoyed watching the aliens search for the threat, so venerable. Cole pulled the trigger and the elite crumpled against the buildings wall. The three grunts were easily picked off as Cole leaned back and appreciated his work.

He could see UNSC planes in the distance shooting into space to escape the glassing. Cole just sat and watched the green and red lights exit the atmosphere. He wasn't going to leave; he had a score to settle with the covenant that had decimated his squad here. And he was going to kill as many of them as he could before the covenant glassed him. Cole's vison jumped away from the skyline when he saw movement by the covenant he had killed. In his scope were those two Spartans he'd warned.

Marcus gave a low whistle when he saw the dead covenant in the open street. Kate frantically scanned the area for any sign of their killer.

"Damn he really is a Raptor, look at his all the shots are point blank accuracy, and I doubt he was anywhere near these guys." Marcus said.

"Shut up and find him Marcus, if we've found a Raptor operative we need to get him off this planet. Do you know how great it would be to have a sniper of his caliber on a Spartan team? He'd be better than Linda for god sakes." Kate said.

Cole lined up Marcus's helmet top in his sights. Just enough to knock him out Cole thought. He then placed a marker on Kate's weapon. Cole took the shot and watched Marcus's head connect with the wall behind him and his body goes limp. He then shot Kate's weapon from her grip. He hurried down to the street. Before Kate could even find her weapon Cole had his rifle her helmet. Kate froze as Cole uncloaked himself.

"You two don't listen that well do you?" Cole asked lowering his rifle.

"Please listen we only wanted to help you." Kate said.

"That's what the UNSC said before too, now look at me." Cole said turning toward the cliff and sighing. "Me and my squad were slighted to be the next super soldiers, then Halsy argues that were not effective, not the next step for the military, too expensive, and worthless as a program. She persuaded the council to end the project and send us into hiding. I see no reason to leave, especially at the 'concern' of her super soldiers." Cole finished.

"Come with us, I know you might not value the Spartan program, but I think they would be more understanding that regular soldiers, and better than staying on this planet and dying. What would that even prove?" Kate stated.

"It would prove that I avenged my squads that they didn't die for nothing." Cole said.

"Staying here isn't going to change or fulfill that, moving forward to fight another day would." Kate said walking beside Cole.

"I know." Cole said sitting down.

Kate sat next to Cole. She didn't know what he had been through but the scar running down his left eye was still raw and jagged must have been a fraction of what was under the armor. She got him to his feet looked him in the eye.

"I'd be honored to have a Raptor watching my six, come with us and avenge you squad that way. I promise with the amount of alien Spartans get thrown into you'll fit right in." Kate said.

"You sure I feel the same way Kate?" Marcus said behind them with a new dent in his helmet.

"Well you can say you got shot by a Raptor and lived, doesn't happen a lot you know." Cole said walking up to Marcus.

"Just don't make that a regular thing and I think I could be reasonable to deal with." Marcus said smiling.

Just as Kate was about to say something a huge explosion boomed in the distance. Cole went pale under his faceplate and grabbed the two Spartans and threw them into the large glass window of a bakery before jumping in himself. Cole then dragged the stumbling pair through the store away from the window.

"What's going on?" Marcus yelled as they sprinted across the street.

"The covenant is glassing Reach, specifically this district, where's this evac you guys orchestrated?" Cole asked hopping over a road block.

"In the Westview military post on the other side of town." Kate shouted over the roar of the wind.

"You mean the part of the city that they glassed an hour ago." Cole said as they took cover in a book store.

"What do mean glassed an hour ago we just contacted them?" Kate stated

"Yesterday, you contacted them yesterday, I saw them get glassed from on top of that cliff, I have a plan B though." Cole said walking though the dark store.

"And that would be?" Marcus asked.

Cole held a finger out and slowly opened the back door of the building to reveal the dark empty streets. He motioned for the two to follow him as he walked toward the outskirts of the city. Marcus continued to question Cole on his plan, but received no response from the silent soldier. Cole stopped in front of a long bulldozed foundation and walked onto it scanning for something. He stopped above a small strip of metal and lifted. A holographic key pad appeared beside it. Cole quickly in putted a code and the hatch opened to a ladder decent.

Cole motioned for the two to descend into the dark hole. He followed him closing the hatch behind him plunging the area into darkness. Cole turned on his flashlight and started to walk down the sewage like tunnels with Kate and Marcus in a nervous tow. Cole turned the intersection corners with muscle memory ease that Kate found strange. He stopped at a large metal door and opened it with another key code. Light flooded from the large bunker. Inside were rations, bunks, and terminals. A large banner hung from the ceiling to the floor where it was anchored. On it was a Raptor with a crosshairs background, and something in another language was inscribed into the bottom of the banner.

Cole ran his hand over a few of the empty bunks and sighed. His felt nauseas as he touched his teammate's cold bunks. They were gone, just like everyone else Cole cared about. Kate watched Marcus sit next to Cole on one of the bunks and put his arm around Cole. Cole himself sat stone cold, all emotion drained from him. He stood out of Marcus' comfort and started up some of the computers in the bunker.

Cole, satisfied with the computer booting up reached under one of the bunks and pulled out a duffle bag with _Coleman_ inscribed on the side. Cole pulled out a full set of black ODST armor. Cole started to undo his torn and battered marine armor and cast it into a bin as Kate and Marcus watched.

"Might as well change suits you guys, we'll be here awhile." Cole said.

Marcus and Kate nodded in unison and started to take off their suits. Cole was already half way out of his under suit, showing off his impressive collection of scars and his right prosthetic arm. Cole fell back onto his bunk in exhaustion.

"Wake me up if you guys need something." Cole said settling into an exhausted rest.

Kate stared at his still form. He had a lot of muscle packed into his tight frame, most likely a result of the Raptor augmentation. His spiky blond hair was short and cropped to just barely make the regulations. It took Kate a minute to realize that he also had prosthetic legs just above his knee. Kate sighed and grabbed a blanket off one of the other bunks and covered him up as she stood in her under suit. Marcus walked around the small bunker in his own.

"I wonder how long this guy had been at it." Marcus wondered aloud.

"Too long, that's for sure, what are you doing?" Kate asked as Marcus sat down at one of the terminals.

"Looking for a little info on Coleman." Marcus said logging into the military records.

Please enter access code

2345346343S2341

Access granted level 1

Commands now accepted

Search record files for Cole S. Coleman SERNO. 246365744

None found

Search record files for Project Raptor

1 Found

Start File: PRP:

Participants for Project Raptor include the following prior service ODST personnel.

Rick M. Jackson

Chuck J. Masson

Tom C. Langtry

Jason F. Hoity

Jim L. Danvers

Cole S. Coleman

End file: PRP:

Marcus scratched his head as he tried to think of more designations for Cole. One struck him as he looked at the torn company flag hanging on the wall.

Search record files for Su Fundi Iriand Raptorus

24 Found

Search Cole S. Coleman in found documents

6 Found

Start file: DA:

From the director of Project Raptor, Jonathan Greaves, I make this report on our newest participant. Cole S. Coleman comes from a family rich in military history with his late father John H. Shotstone, who himself managed to earn a vast array of medals and respect as a leader. Cole himself was raised on a military base on Reach following the loss of his mother in childbirth and his fathers in military service. He enlisted at the young age of 17, he was then sent to harvest on an insurrectionist campaign. During that campaign they were attacked by the covenant and Cole was stationed on the planet for the entirety of the five year struggle. Cole came to Earth at the age of 22 following a bombing of his convoy in the last days of the war. Cole is now a triple amputee with amputations below the right hip and above the left knee, the entirety of his right arm, the right half of his jaw, and his right eye. All have since been replaced with high end prosthetics and intensive therapy. Cole was then brought to us to participate in this grand program. He stands the best marksman in the UNSC and is nominated for the most decorated marksman in history. His impressive legacy will render him a great Raptor.

End file: DA:

Start file: AA

Augmentation had begun today in department 24M. Cole S. Coleman has volunteered to be the first in our experimental augmentation. Cole will be augmented with the following chemicals and mechanisms.

Muscle condenser

Bone strengthener

Combat clot agent

Frontal lobe neural lace

Right and left lobe neural lace

T45 neural lace compacter

Prosthetic ramp up in each

Cole successfully completed augmentation today and will start therapy on Monday.

End file: AA:

Start file: CA:

Case files 14334 Raptor Project

Brought to the stand of the UNSC and ONI council, the continuation of Project Raptor as disputed by Doctor Catherine Halsy of the Spartan Project.

Minutes:

CHJ: Let the meeting come to order over the proposed termination of the Raptor Project by Doctor Catherine Halsy. Doctor please proceed with you prosecution.

DCH: Thank you chair head, council as you know I preside over the highly effective Spartan Project. They are super soldiers with many available augmentees than that of the highly selective Project Raptor whose only participants DNA is found in 1 and 20 colonies. The immense cost of this project is absurd with the success of my program. I put forth the termination of this project so that the funds may be used a more effective way.

CHJ: Thank you doctor, director you defense.

DPR: Yes your honor, council I come to you a distraught man that any of the soldiers that have served in my program should face such a trial, but here it is. I do understand that the soldiers we make are few, but I believe in quality over quantity. One of these soldiers can equal up to ten Spartans in scores and effeteness on the battlefield. And doctor we all know where your soldiers came from. But mine were hardened ODST when they came to my project. Coleman is a triple amputee and he flourishes with his augmentations better than any Spartan marksman the doctor has. Sure we are expensive and selective, but I rather have a project like that than have to watch a soldier of mine die on an operation table.

CHJ: Thank you director, we have heard enough and will convene.

Several hours

CHJ: We have come to the decision to terminate the Raptor Project on the grounds of long term effectiveness, cost, and need for less super soldier projects within the UNSC and ONI. Director you will return to duty or take another project post, whichever you desire. As for you six men they will be split according to specialty and will deny any fact of their involvement in the project.

CSC: You ***** I hope your happy.

End file: CA:

Start personal file by CSC

I hope Halsy was happy seeing the guys haul me away shouting every word in the book at her. How does someone become so heartless that they take the one good thing in life away and leave you with nothing? I learned today almost three months after that trial, sitting on the bank of a lonely river in god knows where, that my friends were gone. Their cargo ships were shot down over Reach by insurrectionist fire. I don't know what to say. I died the minute the chair head made the call, my only family in years was gone because of Halsy. Now I feel empty and alone, I fill my days with patrols looking for a means to take my anger out. The covenant coming to Reach, that gave me an outlet.

End personal file by CSC

Start file: NOW:

How many have I buried? It's a very loaded question I have to say, but here is the list I need to remember. For somewhat of my own sanity as well, here it goes.

My father John H. Shotstone

My mother Jane D. Coleman

My wife Karen F. Coleman

My sisters Janell and Hannah Coleman

My Raptor teammates

All marines that held my hand as they died

My son Jason J. Coleman

Myself (pending burial)

End file: NOW:

Marcus stared at the screen in silence as Kate stared in the same matter. Cole shifted on his bunk in the background. Marcus logged out of the computer and went to sit with Kate at one of the empty tables in the other corner of the room.

"No wonder he didn't want to come with us, Halsy she, she ruined his life." Marcus said putting his head into his hands.

Cole quietly listened to Marcus and Kate as he put his black ODST armor on. He knew they would look into his past, he wanted them to. Cole looked into the face plate of his helmet and cringed at the sight that looked back at him. The picture that was stuffed into the lining with a proud man dressed in a blue helljumper t-shirt and tan shorts seemed distance to the broken form he lived in. The light in his grey eyes was long gone from his life as each death he witnessed took a part of it from him. The young infant Cole held in that picture didn't even live to see his first birthday before he and the women that stood by him were taken by the covenant. Cole crumpled up the picture and threw it in the trashcan hard enough for the other two to hear and walked toward the supply closet to refill his pack.

Kate picked the picture out of the trash and unfolded it. She held back tears at the inscription on the back. _Come home safe honey, Jason and I will miss you so much._

Kate walked into the supply closet to see Cole stuffing rations and ammunition into his pack. He wiped eyes and went stone cold when Marcus put a hand on his shoulder and took him into his arms.

"Cole, let it out for god sakes." Marcus said.

That seemed to break down a wall that Cole had carefully built up as he pushed Marcus's away. Kate held out the crumpled photo for him, but he didn't take it back.

"That's not me anymore, their gone, and so is the man." Cole said.

"Cole the old you might be gone physically, but the mentally your still there, you can still be happy." Kate said putting the photo in his hand.

"Your starting to sound like my therapist before Reach, anyway I wanted you guys to look at those files anyway so don't worry about that. I wanted you to know why I have become what I have. But I thought about it, and it would be nice to have a team again, so if you still want me." Cole said picking up his worn rifle.

"That's still a yes, but how do we get off this planet?" Kate asked.

"Get suited up and refilled and I'll show you." Cole said walking back to his bunk.

Cole sighed and put on his old helmet. The warn Raptor emblem on his shoulder gleamed in the burning night. Kate and Marcus climbed out of the hatch behind him as waited.

"Were going to make a run for Temper base on the other side of town, the UNSC put out one final ride out of here, try and keep up." Cole said taking off down the street.

Surprisingly to Kate and Marcus they had a hard time keeping up. Cole ran through the street at a constant pace not slowing to duck through houses or alleys for detour routes to avoid covenant clashes. So when Cole stopped suddenly Kate and Marcus thanked some god at the brief rest. Cole stared at the base, still lit up and soldiers nervously patrolled outside the gates. Cole started forward with the Spartans and the marine at the front gate seemed to relax.

"I need your designations." The marine said.

"Spartan Kate and Marcus, ODST Coleman." Cole said.

"Good to go, have a nice trip home guys." The marine said.

Cole and the Spartans walked through the gates to two waiting pelican.

"Welcome to Reach airlines, buckle up and snacks are not available to the coach passengers, sorry." A young loadmaster called as the pelican started up.

Cole laughed and slapped the loadmaster on the back as he sat next to him. Kate and Marcus looked at each other in a confused manner as they shot away from the planet.

"Thought you ate it on Sodom Ace." Cole said.

"I thought so to, but I woke up on in a medical bay on Earth a week after. The doctors said after I was pinned in the pelican the fumes from the fire knocked me out. Now I just have a few nasty burn scars on my neck and jaw, and a new left arm prosthetic. What about you I heard you ate it on Harvest." Ace asked.

"Nope close though, I was driving lead in a convoy last week of the offense. Drove over a 75lb plasma mine. Pretty much took my whole right side. The doctors said it's a miracle that the plasma sealed the wounds. Now I have prosthetics my legs, right hip down and left knee down, right arm too, right half of my jaw, and the right eye. Took a year of recovery to get me clearance to get back into the field, and a pretty penny from the taxpayers." Cole said.

"You should think of signing up with us." Ace stated.

"Sure why not, we just have to leave these two somewhere." Cole said as the pelican landed.

"Ok everyone but the pilot and crew off." Ace said as the Spartans exited without the trailing footsteps of Cole.

As the pelican started to take off Kate and Marcus turned in confusion to see Cole waving by to them.

"No offence Spartans but I don't need a counselor or your kind to hang around with." Cole shouted as the ship hatch closed.

2553 Earth, UNSC command platform Johnson

Cole and Ace walked down the common area hallways in the mac station. They were both ODST suits as they walked toward a meeting with the new chairmen of the UNSC and ONI.

"You sure this is going to work Cole, I don't want you getting thrown in jail for mentioning it to them." Ace stated.

"I'll be fine Ace; it's just a simple request." Cole said walking though the large doors to the boards tables.

"Coleman, welcome please sit and we can address your request." The admiral said.

Cole sat in the lone hard seat in the middle of the council while Ace stood in the back and waited. The chair head took his seat and nodded at Cole to begin.

"Council members, as you know I am the last remaining Raptor operative in present. All I request is the permission to acknowledge myself to the world as so and wear the emblem I am proud of. I do not wish to exploit it, but to come out of a long time of hiding." Cole said.

The council murmured among them for but a few minutes before the chair head looked to Cole.

"Very well Coleman from this day forward the Raptors are no longer classified, have a good day lieutenant." The chair head declared as Cole walked out.

"Time to celebrate, huh Raptor." Ace said once they were out into the hallway.

"You are not allowed to celebrate anymore Ace, remember Mombasa after we got back from Reach." Cole said.

"That was not my fault; you're the one that pushed my drunken butt into that thug." Ace said as they walked toward the hanger.

"I was drunk too Ace, didn't know what I was doing." Cole said shrugging his shoulders and grinning at his scowling friend.

"Yeah, all drinking to forget, wonder where those saps ended up." Ace said as they walked into one of the pelicans in the hanger.

Just then a group of Spartans walked into the hanger talking loudly. Cole was now on the top of the pelican fixing a rather large dent.

"Hey Spartans keep it down for god sakes." Ace yelled as he talked on the radio.

The group turned to Ace you were already back to work on the radio coordinating repair materials when one of the Spartans walked toward him. He wore the new Spartan 4 recruit armor with a greenish accent on it.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Marcus said to Cole.

"Long time no see Marcus, nice to see that you made it back ok." Cole said sarcasm thick in his voice as he turned back to the plane.

"Marcus lets' just get to our pelican and go." Kate said from behind Marcus.

Cole laughed and dropped down from pelican to step in front of Marcus. Even as a Spartan II with all the augmentations that came with it Cole still held a few inches above him. Cole could see the anger boiling beneath Marcus's skin. So when the first punch hit his chest plate Cole responded with a dizzying array of punches and a single kick to the helmet to make the Spartan fall like a rock. The other Spartans backed away from the ODST that had just dropped their commander as Kate grabbed Marcus and started to walk over to their pelican with the rest of the squad murmering quietly.

"Come on Cole get back to work, the Spartans are leaving." The hanger CO said.

Cole nodded and climbed back up on the pelican.

UNSC BASE HALO INSTILLATION 4, 2554

"Cole come in we are inbound to your position, what's the situation on the ground?" Ace called over the radio while trying to hold onto a bar in the pelican.

Cole barley could make out the call before another promethean rocket slammed into the hill by his position sending rocks and dirt unto his prone form. His ribs being smashed by a rock earlier wasn't helping his current dilemma as he looked over the rock that was protecting him from the onslaught. At least a platoon of knights was guarding his escape while crawlers bombarded his position. He tested the prospect of being able to walk on his left leg but the pain from his broken femur sent him back panting on the ground. Cole desperately started to search for another escape route as the promethean closed on his position. He spotted a small hole in the cave that was too small for him, so he waited. He unloaded a few shotgun rounds out into the open to assure the aliens that he was still alive and somewhat dangerous. After he did so the rocketing of his position continued.

Cole watched the night darken as he lay still on the cold rock of the partial cave. The promethean had long given up trying to kill him and he had heard no other transmissions from Ace. He could feel his body slipping into a hazy shock as he lay there thinking. The military had taken a lot of his time from him. He had enlisted at 17 the night after graduation and was sent to the battle on Harvest before he could finish basic. Cole thought back to the cold, rainy, and dreary life he lived for year out in the crumbling cities of the planet. It took them five years, took five years of Cole's life slogging through the mud, blood, and concrete. They did end up taking back the planet though.

It was funny for Cole to think that he was now a statue in town square in the capital of Harvest. Lord Hood has commended his valor and service during his deployment there. Cole wasn't in attendance due to the fact that he was fighting for his life on the surgical table. Cole sighed and dragged in a shaky breath as he sat up and looked at the night sky. A pelican's lights were visible from a distance as Cole clicked on his radio.

"This Raptor 001 calling for assistance grid kilo 456 Charlie deltas 5. Ace I swear to god if that's you." Cole threatened over the radio.

"This is pelican 226 were on our way to your position hold tight." The loadmaster radioed back.

As the pelican landed a soldier stepped out and climbed the small hill to Cole's position. He helped Cole to feet and the pair hobbled into the waiting pelican. Cole laid down on one of the stretchers bolted to the side of the pelican where seats originally were. The pelican took off toward the base as the soldier started to undo Cole's leg and chest plates.

"Sorry we took so long Cole, there was a pretty big attack on the base this afternoon, and we just got cleared to fly out for you." Jimson by name tag said as he splinted Cole's femur.

"Yeah, I thought Ace had finally woken up to come get me, but you're the better alternative. I probably would have beaten the crap out of him and screwed up my leg more." Cole said wincing when Jimson felt his broken ribs.

"Yeah, well Ace and his pelican were shot down at the start of the attack; he's ok, just a little shaken up with a broken wrist." Jimson said removing the last of Cole's armor and placing it into a bag

Cole just smiled and nodded before settling back into the stretcher and shutting his eyes. His body ached from the constant action that they had to deal with on this halo. Almost every day they had some type of attack on the base or one that needed a response from a fire team. He felt Jimson strap him down on the stretcher and walk to the cockpit. Cole decided he was safe for the time being and slipped into an exhausted rest.

"Cole wake up, Cole, come on." Ace wined at the comatose ODST beside him in their shared room.

Cole's eyes shot open as he bolted up into a sitting position reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Cole yelped as he doubled over on his painful midsection. When he recovered from the pain he looked around his dimly lit room and found Ace awake on the bed next to him. He realized he was in shorts and a t-shirt as he lifted his blanket to find a snug brace that ran from his left hip to his artificial knee. His chest also sported a loosened brace for his ribs as he laid back onto the soft mattress.

"Jesus Cole its ok, were back at base. I just wanted you to pass the water." Ace said gesturing to a glass of water on Cole's makeshift crate nightstand just out of Ace's reach.

"Sorry, force of habit, you ok?" Cole asked sliding the water toward Ace.

"Yeah just couldn't get my harness on in time when we went down. I screwed my wrist and back, but doc said I'll be back on my feet and back to work within the month." Ace said wincing as he sat up higher.

"Yeah I thought you just ditched me behind that cliff, turns out you were a little busy." Cole said sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Sorry about that Cole, why are you getting up?" Ace asked wondering why Cole was getting up after just getting back.

"I have to move around Ace, being cooped for six month during my Harvest recovery not fun." Cole said standing up to stretch.

"Nurse left some crutches for you by the dresser; I'll be here sleeping my life away if you need me." Ace said mock saluting and sliding into his comforter.

Cole limped out into the hall and started toward the mess hall. Just as he went to turn the corner to a steaming slice of pizza someone shouted his name. Looking to his right he say a black haired women with a clipboard and medical insignia. Cole sighed and leaned on his crutches to wait for her to berate him about being up this soon.

"What are you doing up Coleman, you should be in bed resting, where is Ace?" The nurse asked.

"Sleeping like a rock." Cole said.

"At least he has common sense, go back to bed." She said.

"No, I want some pizza, I'll get back in bed later." Cole said pushing past her to the line.

He took a seat by himself at a table as others looked at the legendary marksman. As Cole ate his pizza the nurse came in with the doctor and looked for some one. Cole stuffed his crutches under the table before turning his back to the pair. Soon after Cole felt like some one was standing over his shoulder and it was the nurse.

"Cole you need to go back to bed, now." The doctor said as Cole held a middle finger to them as he continued to eat his pizza.

"Cole come on lets go, now." The doctor said reaching for the ODST's shoulder.

Cole wrenched himself away from the doctor and stood to his full height a good head above the doctor.

"Doc, I suggest you leave me alone." Cole said his agitation level nearing its max.

UNSC Ship yards, Earth 2556

"Happy birthday Cole." Ace yelled from the cockpit of the pelican as Cole got on and set his duffle bag and weapon case down.

"Yeah because 28 is a year to celebrate when you're about to be deployed in about an hour." Cole said as ripped down a happy birthday banner from the roof of the pelican.

"Hey your still young and alive come have some cake before we shove off for the Infinity." Ace said holding a cheap plastic covered cake in his hand.

Cole shook his head and sat down in one of the pelican seats by the ramp and stared out of it at Earth. His home world had been Harvest, but Earth still held a spot in his heart. He lingered for a moment before he smelt the chocolate in front of his face. There was Ace with a grin on his face and a piece of chocolate cake on a plate with a plastic for right under Cole's nose. Cole sighed and snatched the cake from Ace and mumbled something on the line of start the stupid plane. Ace skipped happily away to the cockpit as Cole ate. The pelican roared to life a few seconds later and took off town the UNSC Infinity. The ship itself was larger than anything the covenant could throw at it and Cole marveled at how much of the ship yard it occupied. He could spot the civilians on balconies awaiting the launch. Captain Del Rio was at the time making his speech to the soldiers and crew that would work on the new vessel. Ace swooped the pelican down behind the podium at the height of the officer's speech. Del Rio held onto his hat as he climbed onto the pelican. Cole sharply saluted and shut the ramp as Ace took off toward the ship.

"Afternoon Capt. How's the day been?" Cole asked as he threw away his plate and returned to the end of the pelican.

"Hell, but were almost there. Uh, where did the cake come from Coleman?" Del Rio said pointing to the remains of the plastic covered cake.

"Ace, it's my 28th birthday." Cole said giving the Capt. a slight smile.

"Well congrats, your almost middle age in civilian life, but you're an old man in the UNSC like me." Del Rio said as they docked in one of the Infinity's pelican bays.

Cole nodded to the Capt. in agreement before Del Rio disembarked for the bridge. Ace walked from the cockpit and grabbed his bags as did Cole. The pair walked toward the aircrew rooms past the busy deck crew the hurried to prepare the ship for launch. The air crew rooms were close to the hangers for obvious reasons, but they were situated next to S-Deck, the Spartan quarters. Cole keyed his room and stepped in. They all had rooms to themselves on the ship except the Spartans that shared fire team rooms.

Cole unpacked his bags and set his rifle case in his closet. He changed from his fatigues into his black ODST armor. He organized his prosthetics for combat, regular duty and light models in his dresser before slipping back out into the hallway with his helmet in his arm and sidearm on his hip. Ace's room was directly across from his. Cole went to walk toward the hanger, but a large bulk of metal crashed into him at full speed. Instincts had Cole up and in a fighting stance before the other could react. Once Cole's senses returned he saw the culprit was a black armored Spartan with green accents. The Spartan stood himself up and looked at Cole apologetically.

"Sorry Sir, I was in a hurry to get down to S-Deck to meet with my fire team." The Spartan said in a timid voice.

"Don't worry about it Spartan, and for god sakes speak like Spartan." Cole said half laughing as he strode down to the hangers.

"I didn't catch your name sir." The Spartan said walking with him.

"Cole Coleman, I'm combat air crew on pelican 464, nice to meet you Spartan." Cole said slowing down his pace to walk with the Spartan.

"I'm Mark Mitchell, Spartan from fire team emerald. See you around." Mitchell said before turning the corner to S-Deck.

Cole walked into the hanger to his pelican. The room was busy making the final preparations for the launch and jump to slip space. Cole watched Spartans hang around their respective pelicans muttering excitedly about their new assignment. The same green accented Spartan he had seen a few minutes before came walking toward Cole with the five or so more Spartans of the same color palate behind him. Cole stood up from the seat he'd been relaxing in and saw the commander step out from the group toward him.

"Good morning, I'm Commander Granger of fire team emerald. Were slated to take pelican 464." Granger said.

"Welcome aboard emerald pick a seat." Cole said sitting back down.

Ace strode into the pelican a few minutes after the Spartans. He was dressed in the same black ODST armor as Cole with fewer scratches. He nodded to Cole before he walked into the cockpit to brief the pilot.

"All personnel prepare for launch." The intercom boomed as the lifting engines boomed to life.

Cole braced himself as the ship lifted vertically into Earth's atmosphere. One of the Spartans threw off his helmet and ran to the nearest can to get rid of his lunch. Cole laughed and threw on his helmet. Once the ship was off the ground it rocketed toward space. Cole took one last look at Earth through the blast shield doors before they shut for slip space travel.

"All crew prepare for slip space jump." The intercom boomed again.

Cole tossed an oil bucket to the Spartan and nodded at him in understanding as the ship lurched into slip space. All assumptions correct the bucket was used.

"Ok Spartans we have five mikes until we enter requiems space. So strap in and get ready." Cole said.

Requiem interior 2556

Cole groaned and released his safety belts. He hit the deck of the pelican with a thud as he got his bearings in the tipped pelican. They had crashed out of the hanger when they were pulled inside the planet. Now Cole was the only one conscious enough to move out of the wreckage. He pulled the Spartans belts one by one and watched them wake up with a thud. Then he dragged Ace and the Pilot out of the smoking cockpit and into the dirt outside the pelican.

"This is Raptor 001, anyone copy. Pelican 226 is down five clicks from Infinity over." Cole said as the Spartans regained their bearings enough to rally around him.

"This is Infinity no QRF forces are available Raptor, recommend you make your way to us." Roland the ships A.I. radioed back.

Cole keyed his acknowledgment and turned to the group. Ace and the pilot were up and the Spartans looked as green as their armor color. Cole knew that the Spartan teams were green, but not that they had no combat experience. Most looked anxious or ballsy, the attitude that can get people killed. Cole pulled his pistol from his holster and started walking toward the Infinity. Granger stopped Cole.

"Shouldn't we make a plan; we don't know if the Infinity is even safe to return to." Granger said.

"Listen the Infinity is ten times as safe as an unknown forerunner jungle, besides your Spartans don't have enough combat experience to be out here let alone at night. So follow me and we'll get back to the ship in one piece." Cole said without turning around.

"Hey, were not greenhorns we can handle combat just fine." Granger said stopping Cole from continuing forward.

"How many combat deployments have you been on commander, and this one doesn't count." Cole said turning to face Granger.

"Well, were just out of training, so, I." Granger stammered.

"I've been to Harvest, Instillation 4, and Reach. Ace has been to Reach, and Sodom. Hell, our pilot Matterd has been on twenty pilot deployments. So don't tell me you have combat experience commander." Cole said turning and walking with Ace and Matterd toward the ship.

Half way into the trip Granger dropped back to Cole who was bringing up the rear at the moment.

"I'm sorry Coleman; I know Spartans get hit for being so ballsy as I just was. But I want you to know I want to get experience, I'm just new to this." Granger said.

"No problem Granger, but a Spartan running his mouth usually doesn't go over well with ODST's and marines." Cole said.

Granger nodded before a shot rang out from the forest. Granger crumpled into Cole holding his side. Cole hauled him behind a large rock as fire started on their position. A large metal machine looking creature approached their position with a large orange glowing sword. The creature charged Cole and Granger's position. Cole shoved Granger to the right as the creature tackled him to the ground. Cole saw stars as the creature landed on his chest slamming his back into an old tree root. The creature grabbed Cole by his helmet and threw him down the ravine in front of him. Cole tumbled down the rock and gravel ravine gaining speed until a cluster of trees stopped him cold. Cole's vision faded out as gunfire echoed up the ravine.

Meanwhile the Granger and the other Spartans empty clip after clip into the creature. Ace grabbed his shotgun off his back and lined it up with the back of the creature's head. The creature twitched once before falling to the ground. Ace helped Granger to his feat seeing the familiar pink foam encrusting most of his left side. Ace walked to the edge of the ravine he had seen Cole get thrown down and saw a familiar glint of black armor. The group slid down the incline and ran to Cole. Ace was by his side first ripping off his helmet and Coles. Blood dripped from the side of Cole's mouth. Ace tried to move Cole away from the tree but his armor snagged something. Looking on Cole's left side was a deep cut that had created a puddle of blood on the gravel below.

Cole woke up to a nozzle of a biofoam can entering the deep cut on his side form the creature's sword. Ace was a blurry figure beside him emptying the biofoam into his side. Cole felt the numbness spread through his body as he saw Granger on his other side with blood seeping from the wound on his left side under the biofoam. Cole caused Ace to recoil as he sat up against the tree beside him. He coughed and spit blood into the grass.

"Cole, you ok?" Ace asked throwing the used biofoam to the side.

"Yeah, that's why we have to get back to the Infinity guys, come let's get moving." Cole said as Ace helped him up.

They were a mile from the ship. Granger was being held up by Mitchell and another Spartan, as the pair walked behind Cole, who himself had begun to lean on Ace's assistance more and more. The Infinity was in sight by night fall as the group walked over the remnants of covenant battles. Cole and Granger had long since passed out and were being carried by two Spartans. A warthog pulled up to their group and a tired looking marine climbed out.

"Who are you guys?" The marine asked helping them into the bed of the warthog.

"Pelican 226, aircrew and fire team emerald." Ace said climbing into the warthog.

Medics secured Granger and Cole to stretchers before pushing them down one of Infinity's many hallways toward the med bay. Ace walked back to his room, getting lost more than once, mostly due to exhaustion. A female Spartan dressed in white recon armor stopped him in the hall.

"All combat personnel are to be in there quarters, why are you out here?" The Spartan asked.

Ace didn't even respond and just kept walking despite the shouts and following footsteps he heard. Just before she caught up to him he turned the corner into his room and shut the door. He barely got his armor off and made it to his bed before passing out. The next morning he was greeted by the same Spartan standing outside his door.

"Why were you out last night…?" The Spartan asked not knowing the marines name.

"Ace, I just got in last night from our pelican flying out of the hanger when the Infinity crashed, now if you excuse me I'm going to go see my comrade that's in the med bay." Ace said walking down the hall.

When Ace got to the med bay it was bustling with medics signing personnel out and back to their squads as well as new injures. Ace stood to the side for a few minutes before a nurse noticed him.

"What can I help you with marine; you don't look hurt or sick." The nurse said.

"Not hurt, just here to visit Cole Coleman." Ace said.

The nurse nodded in understanding and led him down a quiet hall of the medical wing of the ship. Inside room 108 Cole sat in bed with a doctor talking to him. Ace thanked the nurse and walked inside. Cole smiled at Ace and the doctor stood up to greet him.

"Hi Ace, Cole's just about ready to get released if you'll excuse me I have to go get the papers." The doctor said before leaving.

"Getting out already are we." Ace said pulling up a chair beside Cole.

"Yeah, all it is is a bad cut, I'll be back to work with you by tonight. Hell, Granger left this morning." Cole said slipping on his black jumpsuit that went under their armor.

Earth 2557 pelican 226

"Hey, Cole how many Spartans does it take to beat you at poker?" Ace asked dealing the table again.

Cole, Ace, Matterd, Granger, Mitchell, and Thorne sat at a small metal table inside their pelican playing poker. Since they were on standby for finding doctor Halsy none of the teams were really getting any sleep. Cole was by Ace's account the best poker player on the ship having won around two grand collectively.

"Save your breath Ace, the only person that's ever beat me at poker was my Raptor CO Chuck, hell he's the one who taught me." Cole said putting in twenty dollars to the pot.

"Some people shouldn't teach, your CO was one of them." Granger said putting in the rest of the ten dollars he still had.

"Get in the sparring ring with me and you'll wish that statement was true more and more." Cole said laughing and grabbing his water from one of the pelican seats.

"Tried that once, I leave your skills to the covenant to test out not me." Ace said thumbing through his cards.

"Yeah I remember that you-." Cole started then was cut off by static on the radio.

"All QRF personnel mobilize we have a confirmed location on doctor Halsy." Cole personnel radio sounded.

Cole scrambled to put the cards and table away in the hanger's storage as the hanger's floodlights came on highlighting the crews assembling. Cole ran back to the pelican noting emerald and majestic sitting on either side of the pelican. Cole took his place as loadmaster at the back of the pelican and put his helmet on. Five total pelicans holding ten fire teams would be going in on Halsy's position. As the pelican's hatch closed Cole grabbed the support bar above him and nodded at Ace in the cockpit. Ace nodded back and climbed into the second pilot seat.

"This is pelican 226 leading the pack, all transports check in." Ace said over the radio as the other nine pelicans checked in and took off from the hanger.

Cole looked out the small hatch window at the other pelicans as they flew toward the unfamiliar planet. The rough entry into the planet's atmosphere had Cole hanging on the bar and the Spartans activating their harnesses. Just after entry Cole started to feel vibrations rattle the pelican. Looking outside he could see the midair explosions of air defenses. Cole barley heard Ace yell over the ships intercom as a blast hit the hatch tearing it from the ship and taking Cole with it. Cole hit the tree cover that they were flying low over hard slamming the ODST through branched to the ground with a sickening crack.

Cole sat up and ripped off his helmet spitting blood into the grass. Looking himself over him surprisingly found just a few nasty scratches. His equipment on the other hand had not had the same luck. His radio transceiver on his helmet was nowhere to be found. Cole sighed and started walking through the forest toward the sounds of gunfire. He soon stumbled on the base that held Halsy. The fire teams had already broken through as Cole stepped over covenant corpses. Cole noticed amid the silence, there were footsteps behind him. Cole turned to find an elite carrying doctor Halsy ran into the forest Cole had just come out of.

Cole ran after him catching up to the elite in moments before tackling him to the ground. Halsy scrambled away from the pair as Cole tried to find any weapon to take down the alien. The elite strong enough to kill Cole without a weapon grabbed him by the leg and ripped the human off his back and onto the ground. While Cole scrambled to right himself the elite brought his foot down on Cole. Cole cursed as his ribs cracked under the force. Righting himself Cole charged the elite taking him back to the ground. Cole grabbed a large rock from the ground and slammed it into the elites head until it split in half. The elite was shaken but had not given up when it pushed Cole backward and kicked the ODST into one of the old trees hard enough to topple the plant. Cole pushed himself onto his hands and knees wheezing from the hit. The elite took the opportunity to kick Cole in the stomach and send him several feet into the air landing with a thump in the forest grass.

Cole coughed ripping off his helmet and throwing it hard at the elite. The force of the metal helmet connecting with his head sent the elite flailing backwards as Cole connected more devastating punches to the alien's head, midsection, and back. The elite toppled to the ground with a sickening crack of his neck snapping from Coles last hard hit. Cole grabbed his helmet from the ground and cringed at the blood running from his eye, nose, and lip in his reflection. Halsy came out from a tree guiding the bashed marine toward the base, in the clearing a few fire teams guarded the pelicans and were shocked to see a beaten ODST appear with the doctor. Cole collapsed in the nearest set of arms as he heard shouting and cheering as darkness clouded his vision.

Cole awoke to card shuffling and cursing. The white walls a med bay room greeted him as he groaned from the dull pain in his face and chest. Bandages on his left eye blocked his view of most of the room save a few people at a small table playing poker. Groaning louder this time got their attention as a blurry version of Ace appeared beside him. Ace smiled while Cole laid there scowling. Ace's smile slowly disappeared and was replaced with worry as Cole started laughing and wincing from the sharp pain that came with it.

"You need to shout a little louder when a missile is coming at our pelican Ace specifically in the back end." Cole said in a weak gravelly voice.

"Maybe someone should invest in the idea of a harness, or sitting in one of the seats while the plane is moving." Ace said sitting next to Cole.

Aridad 2558

Cole walked down a narrow dusty road of the capital of Aridad, Killome. He had been deployed to the planet as a way of returning to the pre-covenant war era of patrol outer space planet. The UNSC had resolved most major conflicts of the planet so insurrection was of no threat to Cole or other UNSC personnel. Most enjoyed the deployment as leave rather that well a deployment. Cole took time from his shift that day to write in his file, something he had not done since the depression of reach.

Start File 7: Peace

Well today in 2558 almost 12 years in the military and things are actually, peaceful, for once. I can't complain being shoved on a planet as docile as Aridad. I was dropped off by the Infinity a few months ago with soldiers as green as the planets grass (lush green by the way), but they all look at me like a father or mentor I guess. Putting this much time in its weird to say that about Spartans to an ODST but times may change doesn't mean the soldier has to. Anyway I think it's time for me to go back on patrol. Cole Coleman signing off, Aridad.

End File 7

Cole walked outside to the bustling environment that Dell base and flagged down his driver an 18 year old Spartan named Hazes. Cole jumped in the passenger seat and check that his squad for the day was accounted for. The helmets of three new Spartans to the region greeted him as they took off down the road and into the center of the city. They stopped in the courtyard at the Capital building as everyone disembarked. Three more trucks pulled up and the Spartans gathered around Cole feeling odd in full combat gear while civilians roamed the park.

"Ok Spartans you know your routes fan out with your partner and get it done." Cole shouted as the Spartans broke into their respective pairs to patrol the Capital building.

With a meager police force of 2,000 on the planet the UNSC still held the responsibility of policing 75% of the planet including the capital. Cole had been appointed to the Capital as acting military police chief when he had been deployed here. All Cole did most days was stand at the vehicles and direct his Spartan police force around the city. Cole walked around the park that day watching one of his squad's help kids get a kite down from a tree. He smiled knowing that for the time being the biggest threat to their lives was getting run into by one of the children that played in the park.

Cole ended his patrol early and elected to go back to his "office" in words. Really it was just a nice desk and some file cabinets set up in a hotel suite. The hotel had been taken by the UNSC and made into a central command of sorts. Cole enjoyed a room on the 29th floor with his office in one of the two bedrooms of the suite. Sitting at his desk he looked at the now framed photo of his family.

"Eight, he would have been eight." Cole muttered as he looked at the small baby boy.

The silence was broken by a loud knock on his door. Cole sighed and got up to go to the door. When he opened it he found a Spartan Capt. Standing in front of him, Marcus and another behind him.

"Can I help you Spartans?" Cole asked in his best military police chief voice much to the irritation of the Spartans.

"Just wanted to talk in your office sir, then we'll be on our way." Marcus said and Cole led them to his office where they all took seats.

"We need some information from you Coleman, specifically about this." Marcus said handing Cole a data pad with a picture of some wreckage that he instantly recognized.

"That is classified tier Alpha, so I can't help you." Cole said handing back the pad.

"We have orders and clearance from ONI Coleman, I need you to cooperate." Marcus said.

Cole sighed and opened a drawer in his desk. Taking out a file he opened it and his expression dropped.

"Why does ONI want to know about that wreckage?" Cole asked his voice cold.

"They recently found files detailing a large smuggling operation and that was one of the ships linked in the investigation. It was also the one your Raptor buddies were on; we think there might be a connection between the operation and your teammates." Kate said.

Cole sat stone cold for instant looking at another picture on his desk. It showed all of his teammates holding him lengthwise in front of the Raptor command building. Cole then looked at the files he was holding and put them back in his desk and locked it.

"Get out of my office Spartans, I pulled those men's charred bodies out of that wreckage, I attended their funerals, so get out before I educate you on how I became the most feared operative in the UNSC." Cole said in a cold voice trying to hold back shouting at the two.

The Spartans left Cole alone in his office starring at his desk top before pulling the folder out of his desk and looking at them. There were several pictures of the burnt wreckage and dozens of written reports that had never made their way back to ONI. Cole sighed heavily in seat and turned to look out the window over the city. He hadn't thought about his team in deph for years always locking away the memory. Cole heard another soft knock on his door. He cursed and stuffed the files into his jacket before opening the door. A ONI officer greated him at the door with a packet of papers.

"Your heading to a ONI base in the morning with Spartans Kate and Marcus, report to the rail yard at 0800 tommarow." The man said walking away.

Cole stood in his apartment stunned. Cole thought fast and tore off his uniform repaceing it with some loose street clothes and started to pack his ODST armor and some other items into a small suitcase. He finished taking the two pictures on his desk and placing them in his wallet before he grabbed a large wad of cash out from under his desk.

Cole slipped out of the building unnoticed and walked through the city. He came to the airport and ripped the UNSC tracking chip from his neck and his dogtags off throwing them into a random plane before walking toward a small group of men smoking. One man a elderly gray haired man stood up looked at Cole.

"How much to get to Alkia? Cole asked.

"A pretty penny sir, 2000 dollars." The man said bearly expecting the wad of cash that Cole shoved his way as he climbed on the ship.

Cole arrived at the small stettlement of Aus on Alkia later that week as he bought a small house on the outskirts of the town. He went to a bar later that night and a tall gray haired man ushered him over to his families table. At the table sat him, his wife, and his two teenagers.

"So you're the new one in town, what are you running from kid?" The man asked catching Cole off guard.

"Come on now no one in this town is innocient by any means. I ran from my innserectionist charges. My wife ran from the same thing. So what about you.." The man cont.

"Names David Charleston, running from the UNSC or ONI either or. Listen if they come looking for Cole Coleman you never met him." Cole said.

"Lips are seeled Cole, sorry David. What happened thought you were the poster boy of the UNSC." The man said.

"ONI tried to get me to talk about some old files that they don't need, and it looks like im not the poster boy anymore." Cole said watching the TV in the bar with his news story.

"Today the UNSC reported that this man Cole Shotone Coleman has gone AWOL and the UNSC are offering a reward of two million dollars for the dangerous operative to be captured and returned to a UNSC settlement. Cole Coleman was reguarded as one of the most effective UNSC opperatives in history and its is presently unknown what caused him to leave."

Cole sat uneasly as everyone in the bar looked at him. Cole started looking for a exit when the man held him still.

"Yes this is Cole Coleman, but remember what this town stands for. It's a safe haven to run too from the UNSC. Now this too all of us and any UNSC that comes here is David Charleston." The old man said as the others nodded and went back to drinking or watching the news.

"Thanks." Cole said standing and putting his worn leather jacket on.

"No problem, listen I own Weston farms down a few miles. Why don't you stop by tommarow at 0700 and I could set you up with a job." The man said as Cole left.

Cole lay awake in his bed that morning thinking hard about his desicsion. He cursed the anxiousness that was filling him and got up to walk to the bathroom. Looking at himself his blonde hair had grown out to the point that his CO had told him to cut it just days before. Cole sighed and grabbed the razor. As he began to cut his hair he could hear the familiar rumble of pelicans above. He took a few quick breaths to calm himself down before finishing the cut. He ran a hand over his shaved head before walking back to the bedroom to throw on some jeans and a black leather jacket with a silver stripe over his plaid work shirt. He then picked up a black cowboy hat that the man had handed him on his way out of the bar.

Cole looked at his watch and saw the time was 0600. He grabbed his wallet with his new licence and started to walk toward the mans ranch. He saw UNSC transports fly over the area as he turned into the ranch's entryway. Weston greeted him at a old worn down truck as David came to him.

"Morning David, don't worry about the transports they fly over the town on a regular basis. Anyway have you ever worked on a ranch?" Weston asked as they both walked toward the barn.

"Yeah, since I was old enough to help, then I went into the UNSC at 17." David said.

"Well then I need the cows herded over to the west corral. Theres twenty of them in the east field that need branded. Find a horse that likes you and get going." Weston said leaving David alone in the barn.

David walked along the line of corrals and each horse hardly reguarded him until he came to a stall with a young black stallion that looked at him in amusment as david opened the stall door. The horse followed his lead to a sadle bar where David grabbed a old tan saddle and fitted the well behaved horse with it. David wondered how the horse could be so tame when he climbed on top and headed to the east field. At noon he returned to the barn and was greeted by the sight of a surprised Weston as he put the horse back into its stall.

"David, how did you ride Coal, he's not even broken yet?" Weston said.

"I don't know he was the only horse that actually looked at me, I thought he was one of your best for how well he acted." David said looking at the black horse with amazement.

"No, he was one I rescued when a UNSC jeep hit him and broke a few of his ribs and his leg." Weston said leading David to the truck.

"Now were going to my field at the other end of town, I have some corn that needs harvesting and since all my machines are down you have to use your hands." Weston said driving through town.

"You know I was a pelican mechanic in the UNSC, let me take a look at them." David said as they stepped out of the truck.

Weston nodded and pointed toward two rusted pieces of farming equipment before turning to talk to some others. David grabbed the tool box from the back of the truck and walked toward the machines. As he worked he started to miss Aces little quips at him as he used to work on the pelican. A familiar voice tore him from his thoughts as he looked out from under his location of the tractor. He saw Marcus and Kate in tight marine fatigues. David went back to work as Marcus questioned Weston with several papers and pictures in his hands. After a few minutes the Spartans gave up on questioning and walked around looking at each of Weston's workers as Weston himself walked to stand by the tractor David was working on.

"Whats the damage David?" Weston said not even glanceing at the Spartans.

"Well, I just need to reiwire the starter and change some fluids and it should be back to work." David said grabbing a oil pan as the Spartans came over.

"Hey he needs to come out so we can look at him." Marcus said with a exhausted voice.

David held up a finger as he drained the oil from the machine. As he was about to push out from under the tracktor the brack fluid tube came loose from his grasp and sprayed him with the liquid. David came out from out of the tractor spiting brake fliud into the grass before looking at the Spartans.

"License?" Kate asked.

David pulled out his license and handed it to Kate before grabbing a towel from the truck and washing his face with a bottle of water. He then grabbed the hand gun he had in his jacket and loaded a round in the chamber before shoving it back into his coat. Marcus smiled and turned to David.

"Cole Coleman you are under arrest on the case of treason and derelection of duty from the UNSC." Marcus said pulling out a pair of handcuffs

"My names David Charleston, I swear sir." David tried as he held his hand back from the gun in his jacket.

"Nice try Cole." Marcus said as he grabbed Davids arm and pushing a tazer to his side making him blackout instantly.

Cole woke up in the back of a black sedan with his feet and legs cuffed. Marcus was driving and Kate sat by him in the backseat propping the ODST up with her shoulder. When he shifted she gripped the cuffs on his hands.

"Morning Cole ready to answer some questions now?" Marcus asked as Cole grinned at him.

Cole chuckled coldly and looked straight ahead at the dirt road they traveled on as Kate gripped the cuffs in front of him. Cole muttered a curse before wrenching his hands out of Kate's hands and aiming a blow that contected with her unprotected head. Cole managed to slip one hand out of the cuffs and grabbed Kate's pistol from he thigh holster and pointed it at the dazed Spartan.

"Pull over Marcus, now." Cole said coldly as Marcus pulled over.

"Now unlock my legs." Cole said pushing the pistol to Kate's temple as Marcus slowly unlocked his legs.

Marcus turned back in his seat and pushed a silent alarm button on his belt as Cole exited the vehicle.

"Remember that warning I gave you on Reach, it still applies." Cole said as he took off toward the moutains.

"You can't run forever Cole." Kate yelled.

"Sure I can you can't catch me." Cole said turning and firing two bulets that hit Kate in the abnomen.

Cole ran as fast as he could despite the screams and threats behind him. He hiked for hours on the pure drive of the threat of being caught. He found a small cave in the dry steep moutains and hid inside as darkness fell. Cole sighed and hid himself in a small crevice in the cave before falling asleep to the sound of nature.

Cole awoke lazily as the morning sun started to show through the entrance of the cave. Cole hiked over the remainder of the mountain to the sight of a small town in the distance. He manovered himself down the draws and ravines until he came to the edge of the town. He started to walk toward the town when pain shot up his back and his chest contracted taking away his breath as he collapsed to the pavement. Vocies surrounded him as he faded.

"Someone call a ambulance!" a women said.

Cole woke in the familiar haze of sedatives and pain killers. He was in a white walled room in a hostpital bed in nothing but some loose boxers with a thin blanket over the top of him. He could feel the friction of bandages that wrapped themselves aroud his chest, and a IV and other sensors on his left hand and wrist. As he tried to sit up pain shot up his torso and left him breathing hard. A nurse came into the room a few minutes later and smiled warmly at him.

"How are you doing sir?" The nurse asked looking at his chest and IV.

"Ok, I guess, what happened?" Cole asked as the nurse adjusted his bed for him to lay back a little more.

"The doctor was on his way over to explain that too you." She said as the door opened to reveal a elderly man in a lab coat.

"Thanks for checking up on him Nancy you can go now." The doctor said as the nurse smiled and left.

"Just listen for a minute. I know you Cole Coleman, the one the UNSC and those Spartans in town are looking for ok. But we are very sympathetic to UNSC deserters here so your safe here. Now you were brought in because you completely collapsed on the outskirts of town. Your time in the military had not been kind to your body Cole and this is the first sign of paralysis for amputees. Your body can no longer supply the energy to your body to keep your protheics running at the rate you want them to." The doctor said.

"So im going to be comletly paralyzed." Cole said shakily.

"Not completely, if we get you in a regular arm prothetic and some non electriacal leg ones then you will at most suffer from paralyzis below the belt. We have some set up for you behind me if you want them." The doctor said bringing a case out from behind him.

"And If I continues with my current ones." Cole asked.

"You risk complete paralyzation." The doctors said.

"Ok, I guess ill take yours." Cole said working on the detachment of his right leg as the doctor opened the case.

"What kind of wheel chair would you prefer Cole?" The doctor asked staring on Cole's left leg.

"Wheelchair?" Cole said stopping.

"You won't be walked that much if at all after your episode Cole, if you exert yourself to much youll end up collapsing again." The doctor said as he fitted the new prothetic over Cole's stump.

"Ok, umm, could I have one that lighter weight?" Cole asked as he helped the doctor attach the right leg to his hip brace.

The doctor nodded and left for a moment before returning with a black wheelchair with a blue frame. He helped Cole into a tshirt and some pants before helping him into the wheelchair. Cole winced as he settled himself in the chair and grabbed his coat from the doctor to put on. Cole signed and wheeled himself out the door to the small lobby of the clinic.

"Theres a house in the middle of town, the blue and white one by the post office that has been paid for you by a mister Weston, heres the keys, welcome to Delle Cole." The doctor said as Cole left down the sidewalk until he came to the house.

It was nice, almost new and with a ramp that Cole could easily use as he went through the door of the house. Inside was neer if not all new, with alterations. It struck Cole to the point of tears what Weston had done for him. This house allowed him to still function fully even in a wheel chair. Cole wheeled himself to the bedroom and helfted himself into the soft matterass before falling into the most peaceful sleep in years.

Cole awoke to loud knocking on his door. He lifted himself into his wheelchair and wheeled himself to the door. He opened it to reveal Marcus and Kate that slumped forward slightly.

"Morning sir, have you by chance seen this man?" Marcus asked as Kate looked at him with suspicion.

"Ok, I don't think I shot you Marcus, wait scratch that I did." Cole said as Kate hit Marcus for his stupidity.

"Your under arrest Cole, stop avoiding this." Marcus said grabbing handcuffs from his belt.

"For Christ sake Marcus look at me, Im at the point in being a amputee that im paralyzed. The least you can do is just leave me in this town where I can actually enjoy life. Or you can take me to the UNSC and watch a crippled marine be interegated be ONI and then left to rot in cell for the rest of my life." Cole said looking Marcus in the eyes.

"Can we at least come in and talk about the wreckage, then we'll leave you here and tell the UNSC that you died." Marucs asked in a exhausted voice.

Cole nodded and waved them in. They sat on the couch as Cole grabbed his jacket and fished out a worn folder.

"Listen after Raptor was disbanded by the UNSC we were all sent to different companies based on skill set. I remained on Reach to oversee the marksmanship program. The rest of us were sent aboard that ship to a port above Reach where they would be separated to other posts. It never reached the station and was shot down. ONI claims it was the innserectionist, but this folder contains images and documents that show ONI ordanace at the wreckage, and Halsys signature on half of the orders." Cole said handing a stunned Marcus the folder.

"ONI has tried on more than one occasion to get rid of me too, suicide missions, and sometimes traps. I just have one question though, who brought up the smuggling operation to ONI?" Cole asked as he took the folder back from Marucs.

"A David Charleston, wait." Marcus stopped.

"Yeah I instigated the investigation, its time ONI and Halsy paid for the crime she commited. Listen ill come back with you to Earth on one condition, you fight on my side." Cole said.

"Deal, what do you need to travel with." Marcus asked as Cole grabbed his jacket andslipped the folder back in it.

As Cole wheeled himself into the court room back on Earth, he felt anger rise in his heart as he saw Halsy and the ONI defence. The elderly women smiled warmly at him as he maneuvered himself behind the old oak desk. Marcus and Kate sat beside him as Halsy's smile faded into concern. Cole remained seated as the judge entered the room and the rest stood before the judge dismissed them.

"Today we hear the case of Major Cole Coleman agasint Doctor Cathrine Halsy and her ONI defence. Cole you have the floor first." The judge said as Cole wheeled himself to the front of the room.

"I would like to first show the court these pictures and tell a little story to go along with it." Cole said handing the judge a stack of copied pictures along with copies for the jury.

"I am a Raptor, one of the soldiers of that program that Doctor Halsy had disbanded. After said event my team was separated with me staying on Reach. The wreckage you see in these pictures is that of the transport that carried my teammates. You will also see evidence of ONI fired oridance at the crash site. If you read the next few pages you will see the signature of Doctor Halsy on every one of the orders to take down the transport. Also on the last five pages you will find a list of the orders and missions I have received in accordance with ONI and one Doctor Halsy. These missions are complety against every small fireteam and reconissance article and regulation in the books. But ONI and Doctor Halsy still cleared them. And before this comes up, Yes I did desert my post back in Aridad a month ago. ONI attempted to take me into their custody because I had this information." Cole finished

The jury took a mere two hours to deliberate despite the push by the ONI personel that defended Halsy. When the jury stood Cole felt his heart rise into his throat as the man started to speak.

"This jury finds the defendant Doctor Cathrine Halsy guilty of all accused charges." The man read from the paper in front of him.

Halsy didn't look defeated when she heard the verdict, she looked enraged in the direction of Coleman as he was escorted by her Spartans out of the room. The personel in the room hung their heads as the judge deliberated on her punishment.

Cole didn't stay long with the Spartans, he left for the town cemetery as soon as the two went for dinner in their civilian attire. At the edge of the acient graves Cole wheeled himself to the old oak tree in the back conner of the park. His wheelchair swayed on the gravel that lead him to a small statue of a ODST on a piece of black marble. Inscribed in the rock were the names of his teammates. Cole sighed and bowed his head as rain began to drip down the sides of his dress hat. He reached his hand into his pocket and took out the dogtags that he had on a worn rusted chain. He silently mouthed each name of the pile of tags. Footsteps behind him didn't moved his concentration from his task. When a black blanket wrapped itself around him and a umbrella sheltered him he only closed his eyes and started to cry as hands pushed him toward the street.

"You did it Cole." Kate said as she wrapped a arm around his shoulders when they got in the car.

Cole sat still and looked at the soaked dog tags in he had clenched in his hand. The warm hand on his back adjusted the blanket around his shoulders as Marcus drove down the busy street.


End file.
